Big Island police arrested 16 motorists for suspected drunken driving June 14 and Sunday. Six of the drivers were involved in traffic crashes.
Big Island police arrested 16 motorists for suspected drunken driving June 14 and Sunday. Six of the drivers were involved in traffic crashes.
Kona officers arrested nine drivers while Puna officers arrested four drivers and South Hilo officers two, according to data released Tuesday by the Hawaii Police Department. North Kohala officers arrested one driver in the district.
So far this year, there have been 559 DUI arrests compared with 402 during the same period last year, according to police. Though the department notes arrests are up 39.1% year-over-year, there were fewer people on the roads during the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of arrests is actually up just 1.45% from 551 in 2019.
There have been 367 major accidents so far this year compared with 381 during the same period last year.
As of Tuesday morning, 11 fatalities have been recorded on the Big Island’s public roadways this year, police said. By this time in 2020, nine people had died.
